It might be a time of year when people are filled with the festive spirit, but December is a crucial time of year to pay close attention to security installations – whether you’re office based or in retail.
With larger numbers of people out in public – potentially intoxicated – and with many businesses only having a skeleton presence during the break, security risks increase and must be addressed.
Fire risks can also be high as electronic items such as computers, printers and photocopiers may be left on but unwatched or unused.
However, some simple steps can make all the difference and help reduce risk over the festive period.
Alert your monitoring centre
First and foremost, if your monitoring is covered by an Alarm Receiving Centre, ensure you alert them to any changes in working or opening hours.
The last thing any security manager wants is to receive a call on their Christmas break because premises were open for later than normal.
Equally, you wouldn’t want to miss a vital call because someone was in your premises during what would normally be operating hours, but when your business is actually closed for the break.
When doing this, you should also establish a list of who will be accessing the premises during the festive season and ensure the ARC is aware of this.
Depending on the situation, you may also need to consider lone worker coverage.
Make sure your keyholder details are up to date at the ARC – ensure that only the people who are supposed to be on site during the festive period can get in and avoid false alarms.
Check your equipment
Give your security system a thorough check-up before the break. Make sure any cameras, alarms and recording equipment are working as you’d expect.
A fire alarm test is an obvious step, but don’t forget that any festive decorations that may be on site could also compromise your monitoring facilities.
Although it might seem obvious that a piece of tinsel in front of a camera is a very bad idea, remember that larger items such as trees might also block viewing angles.
Balloons and other decorations could potentially set off false alarms as well.
With everyone leaving the office, it may be worth investing in physical security, such as Kensington locks, for any removable equipment such PCs and laptops.
Also, in people’s eagerness to get out as quickly as possible on their last day, they may be less likely to pay the necessary consideration to security checks – so ensure someone is given responsibility to check that all doors and windows are properly locked before shutting up to prevent false alarms.
Don’t forget a worst-case scenario too – make sure the contact details you have for any maintenance firms are up to date and valid for the holiday period; and equally, ensure they have your up-to-date details too.
Switch off for Christmas
Another obvious point that might get overlooked is remembering to switch off all non-essential electrical items.
Aside from the energy saving this will give you, switching off reduces your overall fire risk.
Other basic but effective steps include parking any vehicles that will be empty for some time in well lit areas with CCTV coverage, and ensuring blinds are shut to discourage opportunist thieves.
Bear in mind also with the pace of the break in December that invoices could potentially go overlooked.
Ensure that any service charges for your security are paid up to date before you leave. Otherwise, accounts may be put on stop which could prevent your security provision attending in the event of an incident, or cause your system to be disconnected.
With some careful consideration, it’s possible to ensure that you’re more likely to have a Merry Christmas with regards to your security provision.
However, there’s one final tip which has applications beyond your fire and security monitoring system – don’t leave it until the last minute to prepare for the Christmas break!